Phase I continues at Eggerss Stadium

Editor’s note: this is the second part of a three-part series about the ongoing renovation project. The first part explained the legacy naming rights program and this part includes information on Phase I of the renovation project. Phases II and III will be covered on Wednesday.

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Monday marked the first official day of practices for the Van Wert High School football team and it won’t be long before the Cougars take the field for the 2023 season. When they do, it will be on a brand new field at a much brighter and more fan friendly Eggerss Stadium.

Phase I of a massive renovation project continues at Eggerss Stadium and a lot remains to be accomplished before the Cougars kick off the season. The renovations are being paid for by a 20-year, 1.15 mill bond issue that was approved by school district voters in May of 2022.

Superintendent Mark Bagley met with members of the media on Monday and gave an update on the current portion of the project, as well as a look ahead to phases II and III.

A big part of the project was concrete restoration to the home side stands and the Cougar Pride Wall, along with a light gray paint that makes the stadium look brighter, plus sealing and waterproofing. In addition, stairs and aisles on the home side were widened, new goal posts were installed in each end zone, and the area where the turf will be laid down, the field itself, was moved about six feet to the south. The reason – the field was never centered in the stadium.

“It helps with some (player) safety,” Bagley explained. We’re away from the wall, we’re away from the fence. Before, we had about five feet down by the Cougar Pride wall and we had no feet by the south end zone.”

Work left to be done this month includes the installation of “Cougar Pride” using Aluminute material that will be anchored to the wall and upgrades to the scoreboard.

“All the panels (on the scoreboard) will be changed and it’ll look brand new,” Bagley explained. “The poles have been painted up and down…they looked awful but you don’t notice it now.”

Black fencing will be installed all around and crews will finish a six-foot wide concrete sidewalk around the field. Two other major projects remain before the first game – the installation of hand rails on the home side bleachers and the installation of the turf itself, which has been delayed several times.

“The turf could have come in really early but we cleaned the stadium for two full days,” Bagley said. “It was 20 hours of cleaning and even though the benches (seats) aren’t brand new they look brand new. It’s probably the first time they’ve been power washed.”

“The goal is still to (have turf installed) by the Crestview scrimmage, August 11,” he continued. “We know 100 percent it’s going to be installed by Game No. 1. The installation part of the turf is easiest part. All of the work that’s been done to this point, all of that stuff is done and ready to roll. The laying of the turf will only take 5-8 days and once they get here they’re not leaving until it’s done.”

Bagley said he’s hopeful Maumee Bay Turf will begin the installation process later this week.

As noted earlier, aisles and stairs were widened on the home side to make them safer and more suitable for hand rails. Bagley said the change resulted in the loss of about 100 seats, but he noted once the band bleachers are installed behind the south end zone, those seats will become available again.

Tomorrow: phases II and III.